An Angel?
While the three of us were chatting, breakfast preparation fell behind schedule.
We hurriedly got back to work.
"Young lady, what do you want to eat?"
Wait, the head chef is asking a five-year-old to decide the menu? Well, no time to waste. Let’s do this!
"How about a one-plate meal with pancakes, salad, and a meat-filled omelet? For soup, ham and lettuce."
"Pancakes?"
Oh, right. Pancakes don’t exist in this world.
"Alright, I’ll make them! For the meat omelet, we don’t have ground meat, so chop up some bacon and onions finely, season them well with salt and pepper, and stuff them into the omelet."
I took charge of the pancakes. Mixing eggs, milk, and sugar, I sifted in baking powder and flour before frying them up.
Ah, it reminded me of how my grandkids used to beg me to make these for them.
Despite the rush, we finished on time. But as a result, my dress was completely covered in flour…
"Young lady, you’re completely white! Let’s get you changed right away!"
"Aaahhhh—!"
Sarah came to fetch me and practically dragged me out of the kitchen.
Meanwhile, back in the kitchen:
"Chef, in that moment, I swear, the Young lady looked like an angel. Maybe I’ve been carrying some guilt about quitting adventuring all this time."
"An angel wouldn’t bark out insults like that, though."
"Ha! Yeah, no argument there."
"But we’ve got to protect her no matter what."
"Of course! I’ll protect the Young lady with everything I’ve got. It’s been a while, but maybe I should sharpen my sword and get back into practice..."
"Haha! Take a day off and let the private soldiers toughen you up."
"If I do that, I’ll be useless the day after tomorrow!"
"The Young lady will help you recover. You’ll be fine."
"Alright, I’ll go get trained."
"Just don’t overdo it."
The next day, Ben really did train with the private soldiers.
Two days later, as he sat immobilized from muscle pain, a grinning Joan repeatedly poked him.
Later, Ben was heard shouting, "She’s no angel—she’s a devil!"
---
Meanwhile, in the Servants’ Dining Hall:
"She used to be spoiled, but the meals taste better now."
"She had a bad attitude, but my skin’s glowing these days."
"She was a picky eater, but my waistline has slimmed down."
"She was insufferable, but my constipation’s gone!"
"She used to get on my nerves, but her smile is so sweet now."
"Oh, and this morning, after the Young lady taught me how to clean, the windows and entrance are sparkling!"
"Really? She showed us how to clean the bathroom, and it’s so much cleaner than before!"
“””””"Young lady is just the best, isn’t she?"”””””
"I’m sticking with her forever!"
"I’ll protect her from any weirdos!"
"Alright, everyone, let’s give it our all!"
"”””””Yeeaaahhh~~~!!!!"”””””
And so, the household staff of the Lampail family united in their resolve to protect Joan, each driven by their own heartfelt reasons.
What do you think about this chapter?
